building people

Of all the things that Jesus turned upside down, I think our understanding of authority is at the top of the list.

I’ve had a lot of bosses and been boss to a lot of people. I’ve worked beside many more people who had authority over others. Most of the time leaders see their team as just a means of getting work done – they stop at the basic employment contract of “you work, we pay you.”

There are ladder-climbing careerists who see the backs of others as the rungs on their ladder. To them, people are to be expended in pursuit of promotions. Other leaders claim to be empowering their workers when what they really do is isolate them.

But Paul understood authority – here’s what he wrote at the end of a letter of admonishment to the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 13:10): “This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.”

In Jesus’ kingdom, leadership is a gift; some people are gifted to lead just as some are gifted for hospitality or teaching. Since all gifts are given for the good of the group, the authority that comes with a leadership position must be used to help people grow. 

The function of authority is to build people up, not tear them down. Leaders who diminish others don’t really understand their authority; they aren’t true leaders. 

But here’s the thing. Anyone who has one person looking at them as an example is a leader. Anyone who has influence over a single other person’s thoughts and actions has some authority. So really, this is guidance for all of us.

If you find yourself tearing someone else down, you’re wrong. That’s not why you’re here. Building people up is a part of the purpose for all of us.